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Council selects hearing panel

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The council has
selected the hearing panel for the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan.

The hearing
panel members are: Environment Southland councillors Lloyd McCallum, Nicol
Horrell and Maurice Rodway, and Rob van Voorthuysen who was appointed as the independent
chair. An iwi representative will be confirmed in due course.

Environment
Southland chief executive Rob Phillips says the appointment of the hearing
panel is an important stage in the statutory plan process, which will allow it
to progress next year.

All of those
on the hearing panel were required to complete the comprehensive hearing
commissioner training through the Ministry for the Environment. Commissioners
must be accredited to sit on RMA hearing panels.

The proposed Southland
Water and Land Plan was formulated following an extensive public engagement
period last year to seek ideas and feedback on a working draft document.

The statutory
consultation process began on 3 June when the plan was first notified.
Submissions closed on 1 August, with more than 800 submissions received.

A summary of submissions will be made available and then further submissions
will be called for. At this time, those
who have already submitted may comment on other submissions – either supporting
or opposing them.

The hearing is scheduled for 2017. The hearing panel will consider all the
submissions and hear any submitters who wish to speak to their submissions,
before making final decisions.